Inflatable structures have been effectively used to suspend and support radar reflectors and antennas in various environments. One commonly used type of inflatable structure is an inflatable radar reflector incorporated within a life raft. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,406 issued to Jones-Hinton. Each of the several embodiments illustrated in the '406 patent comprise a circular sheet of flexible material having at least one circular central section reflective of radio waves and an inflatable endless tube which encircles the sheet to hold the center section taut and flat when the tube is inflated.
Similarly, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,109 issued to Dumas discloses an inflatable antenna for use with a buoy at sea. The Dumas antenna comprises a closed inflatable compartment having a top section coated with conductive material in selected areas on the inside of the compartment to form capacitive loading portions. There is further disclosed flexible webs in the inflatable compartments which are selectively coated with conductive material to provide the vertical blade for each radiating element. As disclosed by Dumas, the radiating elements of the antenna are formed by conductive metalized portions of the antenna fabric.
Inflatable antennas have also been used to support radar antennas and reflectors for radio waves. See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,726 issued to Curry. The Curry patent discloses an inflatable antenna assembly comprising a pair of paraboloids joined at their rims to form an inflatable housing supported in an upright position on a rotatable base. As disclosed by Curry, one of the paraboloids has its inner surface coated with reflective material so that when the housing is inflated, the coated paraboloid assumes the configuration of a parabolic antenna reflector. Curry also discloses a radome for the inflatable antenna comprising a spherical structure of neoprene-coated nylon to be mounted and inflated directly on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,987 issued to Mack discloses an inflatable antenna assembly comprising an elliptical tubular member having sheets of flexible nonconducting material fastened to opposite sides of the tube to form an enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,631 issued to Martin discloses an inflatable reflector for radio waves comprising a base of double pile textile fabric having outer sheets which are rendered substantially impermeable to gas and are tied together in a parallel-spaced relation by pile threads. The threads are woven through the fabric and form a chamber which can be inflated. Upon inflation, sheets of flexible radio reflecting material which are secured therein become taut and held flat in a mutually perpendicular relation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,471 issued to Schnitzer discloses an inflatable honey-comb element for use in making up structures which are foldable and inflatable. The element comprises a collapsible, inflatable structure which has flexible outer skin members and flexible inner core members which are perpendicularly disposed to divide the element into a plurality of cells. The panel structure may be fabricated of a thin, lightweight flexible plastic film or sheet which may further have a thin layer of metal placed thereon to strengthen the plastic and to reflect the light and radio wave.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,302 issued to Tipton discloses an inflatable variable bandwidth antenna having an inflatable tubular ring which supports a flexible diaphragm. The diaphragm comprises nonconductive fabric and parallel, spaced elastic flexible conductive strips secured by their ends to the periphery of the housing.
While each of the above structures are lightweight and inflatable, they are of varying complexity and for the most part are difficult to deploy and dismantle.